The Catholic Church in Ireland yesterday condemned the government’s abortion legislation, which
would permit abortions in cases in which a threat existed to a woman’s life, including from
suicide.

The church called the legislation “a dramatically and morally unacceptable change to Irish
law."

The statement, from Ireland’s bishops, disputed the government’s position that the proposed
legislation, introduced by the government this week, merely codifies existing constitutional rights
flowing from a 1992 Supreme Court ruling and does not confer new ones.T

he proposed legislation would allow for the termination of a pregnancy in the limited number of
cases in which there is a real and substantive threat to the life of the woman, including from
suicide.

It is intended to clarify in what circumstances doctors can carry out abortions.